Last Chance
by moonchic1023
Summary: With their days of being Planeteers coming to an end, Linka finds the courage to tell Wheeler how she truly feels...but is it too late? My first veer into the Captain Planet fanfic arena. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1, Chchchanges

_**A/N: Ok, normally I'm reading and occasionally writing Huddy and Spuffy fics. However, I just rediscovered a love for Captain Planet from watching reruns on Boomerang. As I watched the Linka/Wheeler dynamic again, I realized I was shipping them before I even knew what shipping was! Then I read some of the amazing L/W fanfics here (and there are some fantastic ones that I am praying will be finished one day! Please, please!) and felt inspired to contribute. So here it is, my "Whinka" debut.**_

_**Remember, I only receive weird pleasure from talking about cartoon teenagers from the early 90s hooking up (is this some kind of disorder?) and no money. Let's keep everything at a "T" rating…who knows where this could go?**_

**Chapter 1: Ch-ch-changes**

Linka felt the sunlight as it began to warm her face and she opened her eyes. It was here, it was finally here. She smiled. Today would be one of the most important days of her life.

She stood and looked out the window, enjoying Hope Island's beautiful landscape and relishing the music of the birds who were greeting the new day.

"Linka!" She heard Gi shout before her door was pushed open to reveal her fellow Planeteer and best friend. "Linka, can you believe it? After all these years…today is the day." The Asian girl plopped down on the bed and looked up at the blonde. "And you're smiling?!" Gi looked at her friend incredulously. "Really Linka, I feel a bit like my heart is breaking and you're smiling like it's your birthday! Are you really ready to stop being a Planeteer?"

Linka looked down at her friend. It was true; today should be one of the saddest of her life. Today was the day that the old Planeteer team would be officially passing their rings on to the next generation of Planeteers. They had known this was coming. Gaia had gathered them over six months ago to let them know that they were being released as Planeteers so that they could go finish their educations and start making differences in their communities. The past six months had been spent training the new team on the finer points of being a Planeteer.

"Da, I know. Today is bittersweet. As much as I know we cannot be running around the world stopping eco-villians until we are eighty, I will miss this part of our lives. Being a Planeteer has changed my life and I am grateful for everything it has brought us. I do, though, agree with Gaia that we need to finish our educations and apply what we have learned here back in our countries. Also, the new team has been doing very well in their training and I know we leave our legacy in capable hands. But it is time for change and not all change is unwelcome. Some changes are worth waiting for." Linka's eyes shone as her smile brightened with her last statement.

Gi took careful notice of her friend. "Linka, what kind of changes are you talking about?" she asked in an interested, and slightly excited, voice.

"Ah, can you not guess?" Linka replied. "After today, we will no longer be teammates, no longer be…co-workers—"

"Are you trying to say you are ready to be rid of us?" Gi interjected with a smile.

"Bozhe moy! Of course not! You will always be my friends and I will miss our time—" Linka admonishes her friend before she realizes that Gi is kidding. Linka smiled. "But sometimes being co-workers gets in the way of friends becoming…more than friends."

"Does this have anything to do with a certain red-headed firebug who has been chasing you around for six years?"

Linka blushed. "Da." She looked at Gi for a long moment before asking, "Can you keep a secret?"

"Oh my! If it is about you two, I can definitely try!"

Linka took a deep breath and began, "Well, tonight I am planning on telling Wheeler that I love him."

"WHAT?!?" Gi's eyes got as big as saucers. She had been expecting Linka to confess to liking the Fire Planeteer, or confess to kissing him, or confess to scheduling a date with him, but she did not expect to hear Linka say that she LOVED him. "Have you two been seeing each other behind my back?! Because, while I will be upset that you never told me, I would still be excited that you two FINALLY got together! And great acting, by the way! All of us thought that you two had come to an agreement to be just friends once the flirting and the fighting cooled down a bit!"

It was true. After Linka's brief stay in Russia, Wheeler had cooled down his constant pick-up lines and had even stopped trying to make Linka jealous. The others had wondered what happened, but we were willing to let it go since the two were still getting along well and rarely fought.

"Nyet, we are not together…yet," Linka added at Gi's questioning gaze. "And Wheeler and I did come to an understanding. You remember when I thought I was leaving the Planeteers because my Grandmother was ill? Well, I was so distraught that I would be leaving all of you, and leaving Wheeler, that I kissed him! I don't know if I even knew my true feelings until that moment when I thought I would never see him again."

"But Linka, that was ages ago! Are you saying that after you kissed him, you did nothing about it?"

"No, after the kiss we came back and we talked. I told him that, while I did truly have feelings for him, I was not ready to be with him yet. Our work, it is too dangerous! I cannot fight villains and work with the team when I would constantly put his welfare above all others! It would not be practical. But I did tell him that I cared for him and that his friendship was my highest priority. He has been very respectful since then and we have gotten along well. And now, now that we will no longer be active Planeteers, there will not be the concerns of before and we can be together!" Linka stated, obviously pleased.

Gi seemed a little skeptical. Linka's definition of the "understanding" that she and Wheeler had reached sounded more like a brush-off than a come-on. "So Wheeler has no idea what you want to tell him tonight?"

"Ah, I do not know if he has guessed my true feelings, but I would think that he too would be looking forward to the day when we can be more than just friends and co-workers. I do hope to make up for the long wait by surprising him."

"What are you planning on doing?"

"Well, instead of being dropped off back in Russia tonight, I have made arrangements to stay with Uncle Dmitri again in Washington, DC. I will tell Wheeler that I will be in the United States, but Uncle has just told me he will be very busy for the next few days. I will then suggest that Wheeler show me around his New York. I hope that during the course of the evening, an appropriate time to make my feelings known will happen," Linka gushed, pleased with her plan.

Gi didn't know what to do. On one hand, she knew that some part of Wheeler would always love Linka and maybe Linka's plan for tonight would work. Even if Wheeler had given up hope, perhaps Linka's confession would bring him back. On the other hand, what if Wheeler's feelings had lessened and he did only wish for friendship from Linka? Linka would be devastated.

"Well, what do you think?" Linka's question interrupted Gi's musings. "Will my plan shovel him off his feet?"

Gi had to smile. "Sweep, Linka. Sweep him off his feet. And yes, I think you have a good chance. But I would go talk to Wheeler soon if I were you. Remember, his father isn't well and he hasn't seen his family in a long time. I think you should solidify your plans with him as soon as possible."

"Da, this is true. I will talk to him after the ring exchange ceremony."

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Several hours later, the old and new Planeteers were gathered in the Crystal Chamber as Gaia presided over the ring exchange ceremony.

"Use this ring well and it will always be there for you. Treasure the gift you have been given and take pride in your responsibility as a steward of this planet," Linka told David, the new Wind Planeteer from Australia.

David smiled and, in his deep, accented voice answered, "I will."

The rest of the Planeteers followed suit. It was an emotional moment as the old generation stepped aside for the new, but all were smiling when the ceremony ended.

"Thank you for your service to the Earth as Planeteers," Gaia told the past team, "And thank you in advance for all the good you will do out in the world in the future. You have helped reshape humanity's mindsets in terms of protecting our planet and you have trained an excellent team to continue your work. Don't think that without your rings that you are powerless. You still have the same strengths that lead me to choose you as Planeteers and your prolonged time with your rings may leave you with new sensitivities to your elements. The power will always be yours."

"Everyone get your belongings and I will fly you out when you are ready," Graciella, the new Fire Planeteer from Spain told the group. "Not that I'm trying to rush you or anything!"

Wheeler laughed. "Sure you're not, Graci!" He teased his protégé. "I know you just can't wait to do barrel rolls in the Geo-Cruiser as soon as us old fogeys are gone!

The entire group laughed, except for Gi. Ma-Ti noticed her standing to the side of the group, absorbed in thought. He walked over to her.

"Gi, it will be so different to not all be here on Hope Island together, I will miss all of my friends."

Gi looked at Ma-Ti and smiled. "I agree, Ma-Ti, but what Gaia said about us going into the world is right. We've made a difference here and we will continue to make a difference wherever we are."

"I agree," Ma-Ti nodded. "But just now you seemed distressed and I thought…wait, you are not distressed by our leaving, you are worried about our friends…"

"Ma-Ti, I thought you had given Jin your ring! How are you reading my mind now?" Gi teased.

"I-I do not know," Ma-Ti was puzzled . "It was not as clear as it used to be, but I did pick up a sense of how you were feeling and why." He thought for a moment. "Oh! It must be part of the residual powers from our rings that Gaia mentioned."

"That makes sense. I've noticed that without my ring, I can still, I don't know, feel where water is. It's different but strangely comforting."

Kwame walked up, having overheard them. "I know what you mean. I have a sense of the Earth too. I can almost feel it shifting underneath me. It will be interesting to adapt these senses into our new lives. Speaking of our new lives, where are Linka and Wheeler? It is time for Graciella to fly us home."

"Oh…they may be a minute," Gi stated nervously.

"Gi, your anxiety is back, I can sense it again!" said Ma-Ti. "Why are you worried for Linka and Wheeler?"

Gi glanced around and then whispered, "Can you two keep a secret?"


	2. Chapter 2, The Best Laid Plans

_**A/N: Here's another chapter! Let's see what our favorite couple is up to now.**_

**Chapter 2: The Best Laid Plans**

On the other side of the island, Linka found Wheeler standing on the beach while gazing on the horizon. She took a moment to appreciate his strong form and unruly red hair before breaking the silence. "A pencil for your thoughts, Yankee."

Wheeler smiled at the sound of her voice before automatically responding, "It's penny, Babe. Penny for your thoughts." He turned and looked at her. "How are we going to fix your English without me there to correct you all the time, huh?"

It was Linka's turn to smile. What a perfect opening! With any luck, he would be around to correct her English for a long time. "Bohze moy, Wheeler! From what I understand from Nigel, you butcher your own language all the time!" Nigel was the new Earth Planeteer from the UK and loved to join Linka in teasing their favorite Yank. Linka took a steadying breath and continued. "But perhaps, we can figure out a way for you to keep teaching me your language a little longer…"

Unfortunately for Linka, Wheeler wasn't paying attention anymore. The sun had started to set and seeing Linka lit up by the colors of the sky with her hair blowing the breeze had distracted the red-head. He was busy making a memory of Linka at that moment to cherish once they were no longer a part of each other's lives.

Wheeler had been dreading his last day as a Planeteer solely for the fact that Linka would be officially lost to him. He had given up trying to win her affection once they had their talk after returning from Russia. It seemed obvious to him that, while she did care about him, she did not want to be with him the way he wanted to be with her. He dismissed her claims of the dangers of being a couple could have on the team because he wasn't with her now and she was still his top priority. Together or not, that would never change. But she did tell him that she treasured his friendship above all of the other Planeteers' and he had clung to that statement for all he was worth. He laid off the flirting and charm and worked on being the best friend to her that he could possibly be. Though he missed their banter, he was willing to do whatever it took to stay in her life. He didn't want to push her away with his romantic advances and lose her entirely.

"…and then you could show me around. It could be fun, nyet?" Wheeler suddenly registered that Linka was speaking to him.

"Huh?" He knew he had made a mistake when she sighed heavily at him.

"I was telling you that, instead of going to Russia, I was going to stay with my Uncle Dmitri in Washington, D.C. for awhile…but he has just contacted me to tell me that he will be very busy this upcoming week, so I was wondering if I could just come with you to New York and you could finally show me the sights of your city?"

Linka. Wanted time alone. With him. In New York. He was immediately assaulted by images: Romantic dinners in Little Italy, kissing at the top of the Statue of Liberty, carriage rides in Central Park, kissing at the top of the Empire State Building, going to a Broadway Show, kissing in Times Square, going to a Yankees Game, kissing in his bedroom… He quickly shook the images out of his head, reminding himself that they are only friends now and he wants to keep her as a friend. And thoughts like that were definitely more than just the friendly variety. Then he remembered that it wouldn't have worked out anyway.

"Aw, babe, that'd be awesome, but I'm not going back to New York yet."

Linka was startled. In all of her excitement, she had never even considered this possibility. "Nyet?"

"No. Remember Jenny? The bird watcher from the Northwest when Greedly was cutting down the old growth trees?"

"Da. She and I still keep in touch. Jenny, Gi, and I even meet for shopping and girl time when we are near to where she is."

"Yeah, well, her and I keep in touch too. When I told her that I wasn't sure what I wanted to do now that I'm retired from the Planeteers, she invited to me to hang out with her for a week and ease back into normal life."

"Oh." Linka didn't know what else to say. She knew that both Jenny and Wheeler had shown attraction to each other, but had not known that they kept in touch too. Jenny was her friend! How could she… Linka sighed. Jenny had done nothing wrong, she had no idea how Linka felt about Wheeler. And besides, it had been Linka's choice to stay only friends with the Yankee. She had no right to feel jealous. And perhaps Jenny and Wheeler were only friends too. That thought gave her hope.

Wheeler looked at Linka closely. He saw her face flash with disappointment and then what looked to be anger followed by regret, but it was all gone in an instant. It almost reminded him of the good ol' days, when he would get her riled up and jealous. God, he missed that. He may have had to give up his dream of being with her, but if she was offering him the chance to spend time with her, he was going to make that work.

"Hey babe, how about you go ahead to DC and I'll go visit Jenny. After that, I'll come to DC and we can explore that city together?"

Linka looked up at him and smiled. "Da, that would be good. I will ask Dmitri if he minds me staying with him a little longer."

"Oh, I don't want you to have to change your plans—"

"Nyet," Linka cut him off. "I will miss being with the rest of the Planeteers when we are all living in different countries. If I can have the opportunity to spend time with any of you, I want to take it."

Now it was Wheeler's turn to display a bit of disappointment. Linka just wanted to see any of the Planeteers…not just him. Oh well, he knew better as it was. They were friends. They were just friends.

***********************************************************************************

Gi, Kwame, and Ma-Ti saw Linka and Wheeler approaching the Geo-Cruiser. "Quick Ma-Ti," Gi said, "Can you get any reading off of them so that we are prepared?"

"I can try." Ma-ti concentrated on his friends. "From Linka I sense disappointment and worry and from Wheeler…nothing. Maybe a bit of happiness? Some confusion? Nothing distinct or strong. I am sorry."

"No Ma-it, that's good. Maybe she didn't get a chance to put her plan into action and is disappointed," Gi guessed.

"If Wheeler is not experiencing any type of strong emotion right now, I would have to agree with Gi," commented Kwame. "I would think if she had, he would either be very excited it had finally happened or very angry it had taken this long."

"C'mon slow pokes!" Graciella yelled to the group, smiling. When everyone was in and loaded, she fired up the Geo-Cruiser. "Ok everyone, with the current winds, we are going to head through the United States first. Wheeler, that means you are first up with New York."

"Uh, actually Graci, I'm visiting a friend in the Northwest, so I think Linka will be first with DC."

"The Northwest, Wheeler?" questioned Gi.

"Yeah, Jenny invited me to come stay with her this week."

"Oh," Gi paused and looked a Linka, who was busy staring out the window, "Well, make sure you tell her I said hello!"

"Will do, Gi."

Gi, Kwame, and Ma-Ti shared a significant look. The rest of the flight was cheerful, but sometimes quiet, as the Planeteers reminisced about their adventures and realized that a chapter of their lives was closing.

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_**A/N: Well there you go…reviews would be much appreciated! I will probably be posting about twice a week, so keep an eye out!**_


	3. Chapter 3, Surprises and Complications

_**A/N: Thanks to everyone who is reading and an extra special thanks to everyone who is taking time to review! I really appreciate it!**_

_**As always, the following is meant to entertain and no infringement is intended. However, if anyone out there is reviving the CP franchise and wants me to write new scripts, I would be willing!**_

**Chapter 3: Surprises and Complications**

_One week later…_

Linka practically danced off of the subway and into the airport. Wheeler would be here in less than an hour! She had waited patiently all week for him, only calling him once to confirm his flight time. It had been a short phone call, but the sound of his voice had thrilled her, as did his promise of bringing her a surprise.

"I wonder what he could be bringing me?" she said to herself. It didn't matter if the surprise was a stick of gum; just the fact that he had thought to bring her something made her heart float. She was giddy with anticipation. After her last plan to reveal her feelings had not worked, she decided she would just tell him the minute she saw him. There would be no interruptions, no eco-emergencies, no unexpected plan changes. He would be here and she would tell him that she loved him.

"I love you, Wheeler. I always have. I have never felt about anyone how I feel about you…" Linka practiced her speech over and over again in her head. It would be perfect!

As she daydreamed about finally being with Wheeler, a hand reached from behind to cover her eyes and a familiar voice whispered in her ear, "Guess who?"

"WHEELER!" Linka screamed with joy. She spun around and jumped into his arms, hugging him for all she was worth.

Wheeler, caught up in the excitement of having Linka in his arms, spun her around excitedly. "Wow, babe, that greeting really boosted my ego!"

Linka laughed as he set her back on her feet, but she didn't let go of him. "Bohze moy! Your ego doesn't need any boosting!" Linka smiled. It was time. "Wheeler, I am so happy you are here. I need to tell you something. I—"

"Hold on babe, don't you want to see your surprise?"

"Oh, well of course, I but I wanted to tell you—"

"Surprise!" A loud yell from behind her cut Linka off. She turned to find Jenny, excited with arms wide, right behind her. "Linka, it's so good to see you!" Jenny hugged her. "Are you surprised? When Wheeler said he was coming to visit you, I was so jealous that he got to see you that I convinced him to bring me too! I've missed you!"

"Ah, Jenny, it is wonderful to see you again!" Linka struggled with getting the words of welcome out of her mouth. Yes, Jenny was her friend and yes, she was happy to see her, but Linka felt the sting of disappointment about having to share Wheeler. The blonde recovered quickly. "We will have to hurry home and get a room set up for you! I only made up one guest room for Wheeler."

"Oh don't worry about that, Wheeler and I booked a room at a hotel. We didn't want to inconvenience you or your uncle, especially since you were having an unexpected guest. "

"Oh…" Linka did not know how to respond. Jenny and Wheeler, sharing a hotel room? What was going on? "That will be fine. Though, how am I supposed to make you my famous Russian breakfasts?" she teased.

"Oh, don't worry babe, if I smell your cooking, I'll come running!" Wheeler replied.

Linka smiled at the remark, reassured, until she looked down. Jenny and Wheeler were holding hands. Upon seeing that, the former Wind Planeteer paled and wished desperately for her ring back so that she could blow them apart.

"Hey Linka, are you ok? You look kind of sick," Wheeler asked worriedly. Sudden a strong rush of cold air came from the vent above them, causing both Jenny and Wheeler goose bumps. Jenny let go of Wheeler's hand to wrap her arms around herself. Linka had to stop herself from smiling. She had been wondering about her residual powers, but had little confirmation until right then. It seemed that her residual power was connected to her emotions.

"No, Wheeler, I am fine. I have just been busy running errands all day and have barely eaten. Perhaps we should get your bags and head to dinner, yes?"

"Oh babe, yeah, let's get out of here and get some food in you. I'd hate for you to pass out and for me to have to carry you all over the nation's capital," Wheeler said as he winked at her.

Feeling comforted by his teasing, Linka replied with a wink of her own, "In your dreams, Yankee."

As the two shared a look between them, a look that was both familiar and hopeful, Jenny popped up between them. "Yes, let's get our bags and get out of here. It feels like their air conditioner is on the fritz—it's freezing!"

At her comment, Wheeler broke eye contact with Linka and wrapped his arm around Jenny. "Alright, let's warm you up. Linka, can you grab our luggage? Both suitcases are bright orange, so you can't miss them."

"Of course," Linka replied politely, while internally she grumbled as she headed over to baggage claim. She found the aforementioned orange bags and turned around, only to see Jenny still snuggling into Wheeler's embrace. Linka ground her teeth together. "This is going to be a very long week."

*************************************************************************************

After dropping the suitcases off at the hotel, the group made their way to the restaurant where Linka had made reservations. Once they arrived at the restaurant, Linka realized her mistake. Thinking that she and Wheeler would be celebrating their new relationship, she had chosen a fancy restaurant famous for its romantic atmosphere. She had even asked her uncle to pull a few strings in order to get the reservations.

As if reading her mind, Wheeler spoke up, "Wow babe, this is a pretty fancy restaurant for cheeseburger guy like me."

Linka thought quickly. "Do not flatter yourself too much, Yankee. Uncle Dmitri was supposed to have a dinner here tonight, but he then had to go out of town, so he let us use his reservations. The reservation is only for two, so let me go and make sure that they can accommodate three." She quickly rushed ahead to the hostess and gave her name.

"Oh yes miss, we have everything ready for you and your companion. The roses and music that you requested—"

"I am sorry," Linka interrupted, "but there have been some…changes. If you cannot accommodate them, I completely understand. I will need to cancel the roses, music, and dessert and anything else that seems…more romantic in nature. Also, there will be three instead of two."

The hostess took in Linka's demeanor and looked past her to Wheeler and Jenny, who were again holding hands. Sizing up the situation, she looked at again at the pretty blond. "You tell me what you want. If you want out of here so you can get away from the other girl, I will say I can't accommodate you. If you want to stay and look classy and poised in front of her, I'll fix everything. If you want me to have someone spit in either of their meals, I've got that covered too. I'll even send over the hottest waiter we've got so that you can flirt with him."

In spite of herself, Linka laughed. "Well, since I am starving, I will go with the classy and poised option. Do not worry about the spitting, but the good looking waiter might be a nice touch."

"You got it."

Besides Jenny complaining about how cold the air was in the restaurant, the meal was actually fairly enjoyable. Linka had to admit that spending time with her two friends was fun, even if it wasn't the situation for which she had hoped. The fact that the hostess truly had sent over the best looking waiter to flirt with her along with several high ranking members of the restaurant staff to compliment and attend to her hadn't hurt either.

Wheeler, on the other hand, was having a horrible time. He had brought Jenny with him so that he and Linka wouldn't be alone and he wouldn't be tempted to screw everything up by renewing his interest in his Russian friend. It was hard though. Linka had winked at him several times and he couldn't help but think that it could have just been her and him in this restaurant, together. He sighed at himself. Why couldn't he just accept that they were just friends? Why was this so hard?

His thoughts were interrupted by the return of the amorous waiter. Of all the waiters in the restaurant, theirs had to look like a movie star and have a flirtatious streak. Wheeler could almost feel his blood boiling as the handsome waiter started chatting Linka up. His hope early in the evening was that he would get to watch Linka ream the waiter for being too forward, but this was dashed when Linka started giggling and FLIRTING BACK! Wheeler was incredulous: Linka, flirting with someone she didn't even know?! Finally, when the waiter had the audacity to lift Linka's hand to kiss it, Wheeler had enough. He stood forcefully, barely able to contain himself, and announced, "I'm going to the restroom." As he nearly stomped off, he noticed that all the lit candles in the restaurant seemed to burn higher and brighter. "Hmmm…looks like Gaia was right. Fire and I are still connected somehow."

While Wheeler was gone, Linka and Jenny resumed their girl talk. Linka felt bad for her earlier resentment of Jenny; she did truly like Jenny and thought of her as a good friend.

"Oh thank God! They finally turned down that air conditioning!" Jenny exclaimed. "Linka, how are you not freezing?!"

Linka covered her guilt. "Ah, I grew up The Soviet Union, Jenny. It takes more than air conditioning to make me cold!"

The girls laughed together.

"So Linka," Jenny started in a serious tone. Linka quickly stiffened, sensing a change in conversation topic. "Linka, I wanted to ask you something."

"Da, go ahead Jenny."

"Linka, I think of you as a great friend. We've always gotten along well, had many of the same interests, and I really respect everything you do as a Planeteer. I am so happy to have gotten to know you."

"Agreed Jenny. I have often mentioned to Gi how pleased I was to find a friend such as yourself."

"Good." Jenny smiled an uncertain smile. "Then, as a friend, I need to ask you something…is there now, or has there ever been, anything going on between you and Wheeler?"

Linka was torn. How was she to answer such a question? There was nothing going on between her and Wheeler, but that didn't mean that she didn't want there to be something. Bohze moy! Well, Jenny was her friend and she deserved honesty. "May I inquire as to why you are asking?"

Jenny looked down at her lap. "Well, I've always been attracted to Wheeler, but with him being a Planeteer, I didn't think a long distance relationship would work. But we've always stayed close and hanging out with him this past week has made me think over my feelings. I do really like him and I think he feels something back towards me. Originally I thought we were just flirting, but now I think it's more. But I didn't want to act on anything until I knew your situation with him." She looked up at Linka. "The two of you…well, you could almost cut the tension in the air with a knife. I could never tell if you two just annoyed each other for real or were just trying to stop from yourselves from kissing each other."

The blonde kept her face of steel through Jenny's confession. Her worst nightmare was coming true. Someone else wanted to be with Wheeler. Someone who was actually a good person and a friend. Someone whom Wheeler could actually care about and grow to love. Linka groaned internally. It didn't matter; she could lay no claim on Wheeler. If Wheeler was meant to be with Jenny, then so be it. Perhaps she had wasted her chance after all.

"Nyet Jenny, Wheeler and I have never been together as a couple. We were…flirtatious…in our youth, but it was mostly teasing…"

"Mostly?" Jenny questioned.

"Well, Wheeler had admitted to having a crush on me for awhile. We even kissed once, when I thought I was leaving the Planeteers. However, we decided that, because of our responsibilities and the team, staying friends was our best option. And that is what we are, friends. In fact, I consider Wheeler to be one of my best friends."

"So…you wouldn't mind if he and I dated?"

Linka swallowed the ball of rage that was threatening to leave her throat. "Jenny, you are my friend and Wheeler is my friend. I want the two of you to find happiness. If your happiness lies with each other, then I will be pleased for both of you." Somehow, Linka was able to speak her words without choking, though she couldn't keep her strong emotions from displaying completely.

"Oh thank you, Linka!" Jenny's eyes shone with thankful tears and she laughed. Then she hugged herself tight. "Oh goodness! They turned that air back on! I'm freezing again!"

"Jenny," Linka started, feeling bold, "I do ask, though, that you wait until after your visit here to pursue Wheeler. I am excited to have both of you as my guests, but if you two start dating now, I shall feel like the third square!"

"Oh Linka! It's wheel, and I would never do that to you! We're excited to be here and visit with you. I would never want you to feel uncomfortable!"

Linka was pleased with this answer. "Maybe I still have time to get Wheeler for myself," Linka mused deviously. "I have a good chance, having learned the art of flirting and chasing the object of your affection from a master!" She looked over at the goose bumps on Jenny's arms. "I will need to keep my jealousy in check, though. Jenny is my friend and doesn't deserve my scorn." She endeavored to control her wind-producing emotions as the girls continued to chat.

Once Wheeler had returned, the three finished their dinner and were preparing to leave when the handsome waiter made one last appearance to give Linka his phone number. While Linka pleasantly received the number, one of the candles on the table suddenly seemed to burn strangely and caught the waiter's jacket sleeve on fire. As Jenny and Linka worked quickly to smother the flame, Wheeler smirked to himself.

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_**I love me a jealous Linka! And now she is going to be doing the chasing…**_

_**Reviews are lovely!**_


	4. Chapter 4, Love is Like a Roller Coaster

_**A/N: Thanks to everyone for the reviews! It means a lot to know I have readers who are enjoying the story of our favorite couple. Hmmm…let's see what happens after dinner, shall we?**_

_**As always, the following is meant to entertain and no infringement is intended. **_

**Chapter 4: Love is Like a Roller Coaster**

As the trio was leaving the restaurant, Linka had to suppress a smile as she thought of Wheeler's reaction as she accepted the phone number from the handsome waiter. "I thought that I would see smoke come out of his ears!" she thought to herself. "He must still care…why else would he fume like that over another boy's attention to me? It is time to put my plan into action."

"So where to now, ladies?" Wheeler asked as he slipped one hand through Jenny's arm and one through Linka's, putting himself in the middle of the group. "I can't believe I just get to go out for a good time and not have to worry about some Eco-Villian screwing up my night."

"Da, I know the feeling," Linka replied. "We went to so many amazing locations and I often felt we missed enjoying all of the places that we protected."

Jenny laughed. "And here I was, jealous of the planeteers and all of the exotic locales that you jet-set to every day. But you were planeteers for years. You can't tell me you didn't enjoy it somewhat?"

"Oh Jenny, you misunderstand," Linka said. "I did enjoy my work as a planeteer. What we were doing was important and yes, while dangerous, it was invigorating and challenging. However, there were so many things I had wished to see, but we were always so rushed, we never had much of a chance to just appreciate the beauty around us. I know that, for myself, I would get so caught up in the mission, I would forget to appreciate the things I had right around me." Linka looked meaningfully at Wheeler.

Wheeler caught himself looking deeply into the Russian's blue-green eyes. "I never forgot to appreciate what was around me," he thought to himself as he continued to gaze at Linka. He shook himself and said aloud, "Well, I'm certainly going to appreciate the BEAUTIES I have around me tonight." He squeezed each of the girls, eliciting amused groans. "So let me again ask, where to now?"

"Well, there is a small carnival a few streets away," Linka replied. "I remembered how much you loved your Coney Island, Wheeler, and thought you may enjoy the rides."

"Excellent!" Wheeler said, excitedly, before stopping himself and looking at Jenny. "Or not. We don't have to go, Jen." Linka looked at the other girl quizzically.

"Oh, don't worry about me!" Jenny answered. She looked at Linka and continued. "I've got a bit of a weak stomach, so many rides and I don't get along. But I am all for a funnel cake and a trip on the Ferris Wheel!"

"Alright, doll! One funnel cake and Ferris Wheel ride, done and done!" Wheeler replied as he and Jenny started walking down the street again. Linka, however, was rooted where she stood.

"Doll? DOLL?!" she thought frantically. "This is serious if he has a pet name for her! I must remind him that I am his 'babe' and he has no need of a 'doll'. I must stick to the plan." She looked up and saw Wheeler and Jenny still walking arm in arm. With steely resolve, she ran to catch up, startling Wheeler as she put her arm around him and leaned into his side. However, he quickly recovered and pulled her in tight as they headed toward the carnival.

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Wheeler was having an awesome, if somewhat confusing, night.

The carnival was a great idea. The lights, the food, and the rides reminded Wheeler of some of his happiest times in New York and put him in a great mood. Add in the fact that he was spending the evening with two fun and beautiful girls and you pretty much had his ideal evening. The bewildering icing on the cake, however, was Linka.

If Wheeler didn't know any better, he would swear that Linka was flirting with him. Wait, scratch that. Not flirting with him, actually HITTING on him. It had started when they first entered the carnival gates.

"Oh the swings!" Linka yelled excitedly. She looked at her companions. "This is my favorite carnival ride. Can we ride it?"

"Sure thing," Wheeler replied and then glanced at Jenny. The other girl was watching the swings circle faster and faster in the air and turning a tinge greener with every spin.

"Um, count me out," the brunette stated, as she looked for a bench to sit on. As Wheeler moved to sit with her, Jenny held up her hand. "Oh no, I won't let you disappoint Linka just because I'm a coward. You two go ride that and then we'll get some food afterwards, ok?" She smiled at them.

"Alright, if you're sure…" Wheeler still hesitated.

"Scoot you two!" Jenny smiled at them. "This was your trip to see Linka, so you two go enjoy yourselves. But then I'm making you finance my funnel cake addiction."

"Deal." Wheeler looked at Linka. "Ready babe?"

Linka had to physically slow her heart rate down from hearing Wheeler call her 'babe'. She wanted to hear him say that as much as possible. No 'dolls' needed here! "Da. We will be right back Jenny!" She turned to her red headed companion. "Race you to the ride, Yankee!" she stressed her old nickname for him as she started running.

Now it was Wheeler's turn to try to control his pulse. Competing and teasing with Linka used to be one of his favorite pastimes and he sincerely missed it. "Oh you're on like Donkey Kong!" He looked at Jenny. "We'll be back soon!" Then he sped off after the blond.

"Oh, don't worry about me, I've got enough apps on my phone to keep me busy!" Jenny called after them, laughing as the two former planeteers raced away.

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Linka laughed as Wheeler huffed and puffed his way to second place in their race. "Bohze moy, Yankee! It has only been a week since we left Hope Island; are you that out of shape already?" she teased.

"Hey now! I will have you know that I am still a pillar of agility and strength. It's just a week of no working out and eating all of Jenny's cooking have, um, slowed me down a bit."

Linka's eyes narrowed imperceptibly. So Jenny could cook too? Well, if the way to a man's heart was through his stomach, and with Wheeler it probably was, then Linka was willing to take up the challenge and remind him how much he enjoyed her cooking on the island. She smiled at Wheeler, "Well, I wouldn't want to slow you down anymore. Perhaps I should not cook for your visit?"

"Oh no, don't pull that babe! Your food was one of the top reasons I came to visit," he joked.

Linka saw an opportunity and took it. She batted her eyelashes and took a step closer to him. "And what were the other reasons?" she asked in a husky voice that wasn't her own.

Wheeler's jaw dropped. Did Linka just…flirt with him? His brain stopped functioning as did his mouth. "Huh? Uh…um..uh…eee…"

Linka smiled and stepped back slightly, enjoying the fact that she had made Wheeler look like a confused fish. "This is fun! No wonder Wheeler always flirted with me," she thought. "I think I am going to like making him go crazy!"

Linka looked up at Wheeler, who was still gasping for the right thing to say. "But maybe I will cook for you if it will mean that I will always be the victor in our races," Linka said cheekily.

That pulled Wheeler out of his brain hibernation. He may not know how to handle flirty Linka, but he certainly had experience with competitive Linka. "Oh, you may have just won that foot race, babe, but don't get use to it. I'll catch you next time."

"I certainly hope so," she thought to herself. Aloud she stated, "Perhaps, Yankee. But I did win this race, so where is my prize?"

"Prize?"

"Yes, in all of our other contests you always insisted on a prize for the winner. Where is my prize?"

Wheeler laughed, "Yeah, but my prize was always supposed to be a kiss…"

An impish smile crossed Linka's lips and her husky voice came back, "Exactly. Where is my prize, Yankee?"

Just then, the ride attendant opened the gate for the next set of riders to enter the swings. Linka giggled, broke eye contact, and went to pick out a swing while Wheeler stood still for another minute, mouth hanging open like a guppy. Suddenly, he grinned and ran after the Russian.

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It was like that all night. One minute, Linka was normal. She was fun and talkative and the Linka he had come to expect on the island. However, the next minute, she became an entirely different person: beguiling, confident, and sexy as hell.

Wheeler didn't know what to do. He pinched himself several times to make sure he wasn't dreaming. This was the Linka he had dreamed of for years. She was playful and flirty, moreso than their old banter. She stood close to him, whispered almost suggestive remarks in his ears, winked at him, found excuses to touch him, and even insisted on riding the rides that would push them into each other. He almost lost it on the Scrambler when the centripetal force nearly pushed her into his lap. Her body pressed up tightly next to his, her sweet smelling hair flying in his face, an accidental peek down her low cut top, along with her excited squealing could have caused a great deal of embarrassment if he hadn't forced himself to think of grandmothers and dead kittens.

"What am I? Sixteen again?" Wheeler sighed at himself. "I have GOT to control myself around her. We're just friends; I can't slip into crush mode again. Argh! She has no clue what she's doing to me!"

Linka, however, knew exactly what she was doing. For the first time in her life, she felt brazen and fully female. She was still not a fan of girls who employed these tactics all the time, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She would do whatever was necessary to win Wheeler.

Currently, however, she was doing whatever necessary to win a stuffed bird at one of the carnival games. Wheeler laughed as both Linka and Jenny struggled to throw rings around bottles.

"Bohze moy, Yankee! I will show you!" Linka went into full competitive mood. As her emotions grew more agitated, her connection with the wind was restored, and one of her rings glided easily around a bottle. "I won!" Linka cried, as game attendant handed her a medium blue bird stuffed animal.

Jenny and Wheeler both congratulated her. Then Jenny looked up at Wheeler. "I wish I could win a bird! I'm having no luck," she jokingly pouted.

"Allow me, little lady." Wheeler paid the game attendant for another set of rings. As Linka watched in amazement, Wheeler's first toss landed around the center bottle! Wheeler smiled and shrugged. "What can I say? You can't grow up at Coney Island without picking up a few tricks."

"A giant-sized prize for the red head!" the attendant shouted. "What'll be?"

"Well doll?" Wheeler looked at Jenny.

"The giant cardinal!"

"You heard the lady, the big red bird, the cardinal."

The game attendant handed the prize to Jenny. It was nearly as big as she was! "Oh thank you Wheeler! It will always remind me of you and your red hair!" Jenny leaned up to kiss Wheeler on the cheek. Linka nearly threw up. "Oh and look! There's the Ferris Wheel; you promised me a ride!"

"So I did," Wheeler replied. He took the cardinal from Jenny and handed it to Linka. "Hold this for a minute, will ya babe? We'll be right back." With that, he took Jenny's hand and ran towards the ride.

"Da, I will hold it," Linka whispered to herself as she resisted both tears and the urge to rip Jenny's stuffed animal in half with her bare hands.

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An hour later and the trio had left the carnival and were riding back on the subway, Jenny struggling to carry her giant stuffed prize.

"That was so much fun!" Jenny exclaimed. "But I can't believe we got stuck at the top of the Ferris Wheel for so long! It was really scary when the wind got strong!"

Linka kept her mouth shut. She was going to need to work on her emotions. It was bad enough that Wheeler and Jenny had ridden the Ferris Wheel together, but then her anger and jealousy caused the winds to kick up and strand them at the top of the ride! It had taken her nearly twenty minutes to calm down enough to stop the wind, which was hard since she kept imagining what they could be doing up there alone!

"Don't worry, doll. I was there to keep you safe. No falling out of the ride on Wheeler's watch!" Wheeler joked while Linka rolled her eyes behind his back.

Linka looked up. "The next stop is the one for your hotel," she said, somewhat shortly.

Wheeler was oblivious to her tone. "Really? Man, I can't believe we are there already! It's been a great day. Thanks Linka," the red head looked at Linka and smiled warmly. Linka couldn't help but smile back.

"It is nothing. I am glad you are enjoying yourselves. Perhaps tomorrow we can go see some of the historic places and monuments?"

"Sounds great, Linka," said Jenny. "I've never been to DC before, so I'm really excited to see everything."

"Me too," echoed Wheeler. "I mean, I've been here before, but it was brief and…" he trailed off, hesitant to mention his last trip to DC with Linka. He didn't want to bring up bad memories.

"It is alright Wheeler. Uncle Dmitri and I made peace with that part of our lives."

Wheeler nodded.

Linka tried to lighten the mood. "So, what time should I pick the two of you up tomorrow? I will be done with my run by seven, but I assume Mr. Sleepy-Head there will not be up until, what, noon?" Both she and Jenny laughed at Wheeler's legendary morning crankiness.

"Ha, ha Babe," Wheeler answered. "Very funny. Actually, based on my performance in our race today, I was going to ask if there were any places to run around the hotel, but would you mind if I just came running with you? I obviously need to get back in the habit." He smiled at her.

Linka tried to contain her excitement. "Of course, Yankee," she said and then remembered her manners. "And you, Jenny? Do you wish to join us?" she asked politely, though praying for a negative response.

"No thanks," Jenny replied. "I'm more of a hiking and pilates kind of girl. You two have fun getting all sweaty and gross before dawn." She made a disgusted face and then smiled.

Wheeler gulped and looked at Linka. "Before dawn?"

"Well yes, Yankee. I can meet you at five-thirty at your hotel. Unless," she paused and smiled evilly, "you are not man enough for it."

"Oh, I am man enough for it babe, just you wait and see." He winked at her as the subway train stopped and the doors opened. Wheeler and Jenny stood to go, this time with Wheeler tussling with the giant cardinal. "Five-thirty…it's a date."

"A date," Linka repeated, trying to keep the joy and hope out of her voice as Wheeler and Jenny exited the car. Everything was going so well! She smiled and waved to her friends and they waved back as the subway doors closed. "My plan is working! I could tell he was interested when I was flirting with him and now tomorrow we shall have more time alone." Linka looked out the window as Jenny and Wheeler walked away. It was then she saw Wheeler put the red bird in his left arm as he wound his right arm around Jenny's waist. Linka's face, and hopes, fell. She squeezed her own blue bird tightly and tried not to cry.

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_**So Linka can get her flirt on! You go girl! But is it enough…or is it too little, too late? Stay tuned!**_

_**Thoughts and reviews are always welcome!**_


	5. Chapter 5, Chasing Pavements

_**A/N: Wow, lots of reviews lately! Thank you all! It's so great to see so many out here keeping the CP fandom alive.**_

_**I was watching Captain Planet yesterday (I DVR the reruns on Boomerang) and the episode was "The Perfect World." What a Whinka episode! Linka almost admits that she likes Wheeler, in the middle of a life or death situation of course. They are then rescued, though, and she never completes her declaration. Oh Linka, why can't you just admit your feelings instead of waiting until it's almost too late? That is what got you into this mess in this fic too!**_

_**Also, I have been endeavoring to use song titles as my chapter titles whenever I feel that they fit together. In honor of Linka and Wheeler's run, their constant chase, and the fact that the lyrics fit them so well, this chapter is named for Adele's song, "Chasing Pavements". Check out the lyrics and see if you agree.**_

_**As always, the following is meant to entertain and no infringement is intended. **_

**Chapter 5: Chasing Pavements**

It was late as Linka arrived at her uncle's house. Her mood had only worsened once she had parted ways with Wheeler and Jenny. She couldn't stop herself from imagining hundreds of depressing scenarios of what the red head and the brunette were doing in their hotel room.

As Linka made her way to the stairs, she violently threw her stuffed bird against the wall, where it slammed so forcefully that it caused the framed pictures to rattle. Suddenly, the hall light went on and a voiced called out. "Linka?"

"Da, Uncle, I am home," Linka replied to her Uncle, as he emerged from his room wearing his sleeping clothes and robes. "I am sorry to have woken you—"

He embraced her. "Do not worry my dear; I only arrived home a short time ago as well. We had some pressing manners at the embassy. I am glad to see you though; I want to hear all about your adventures!" He held her at arm's length and looked around. "But where is Wheeler? Was he not staying here as well?"

"Oh Uncle," Linka nearly sobbed at the mention of Wheeler's name. "It has been a very difficult day."

Dmitri looked closely at Linka's face and saw a worn woman with tears threatening to spill. "There, there, my child," he took her hand. "I was just about to make some herbal tea before retiring for the evening. Come sit with me and tell me what has happened."

Linka obediently followed her uncle into the kitchen, where she sat at the table and put her head in her hands. "Oh Uncle, where do I begin? I have made a terrible mess."

As her uncle made them both tea, Linka spilled out her heart. She had always been close to Dmitri, but their shared grief and guilt over Boris' death had brought them even closer. Both had blamed themselves for the boy's overdose, but instead of ripping their relationship apart, it had allowed them to bond over the pain. Dmitri now viewed Linka, not as a favorite niece, but as the daughter he never had, whereas Linka saw him as a surrogate father. He listened intently as she explained how she had planned the perfect date for Wheeler, how Jenny had come to DC, how Jenny had stated her interest in Wheeler, and how she was sure that she had lost Wheeler forever. Linka's narrative flowed as freely as her tears; she paused only for the occasional sip of tea or use of a tissue. When she finally finished, she looked to Dmitri. "It is hopeless now, da? I have lost him forever, Uncle. My stubbornness has cost me much during my life, but now it has cost me Wheeler. If only I would have opened my eyes before, we would be together now and my heart would not be breaking."

Dmitri again took her hand. "No, Linka, you cannot torment yourself with "if only". We cannot change what we have done in the past; we can only control our current path."

Linka lowered her gaze and nodded. It was the same realization they had both come to after Boris.

"And," her uncle continued, "it may not have worked out then in any case."

"No, Uncle. If I would have given in to Wheeler's advances sooner—"

"You don't know what would have happened," Dmitri finished. "Linka, tell me honestly, what are your true feelings toward this boy?"

Linka looked at her uncle. "I love him Uncle. I love him with all my heart."

Dmitri nodded. "I believe you. And have you always loved him?"

"Yes, I believe I have."

"You believe you have? Do you not know? If I would have asked you this question four years ago, would you answer have been the same?"

"I…yes…well, four years ago, he was not serious about his intentions and—"

"You do not know that Linka. From what I know of this boy and his devotion to you, he may well have carried serious affections even then. But you, even if you have loved him since then, would you have been able to say it?"

Linka looked down at the table and thought for a moment. "No, Uncle. I would not have been able to do so."

"Which, my dear girl, is why "if only" answers no questions. Four years ago, you did not realize that you truly were in love with him," seeing her begin to protest, Dmitri quickly added, "Oh, you may have felt an interest, an attraction, but you just admitted to not knowing if you could have told him you loved him then.

"Linka, ever since losing your father and mother, you have locked yourself away. You were reluctant to let others be close to you, so you threw yourself into your studies and interests. You have always been very driven, very intellectually mature, but you have not shown the same maturity when it comes to your relationships, it seems."

Linka sighed in resignation. "Da, Uncle, you are hitting the nail on the foot. I always chastised Wheeler for being immature, when he was the only one willing to admit his feelings and show patience and respect for me when I was slow to reciprocate. And then, I assumed that he would wait for me to be ready, though I never actually discussed this with him."

"Which Linka," Dmitri said gently, "seems to be at the root of your problems. You need to work on your communication. Wheeler is not a mind reader; neither is Jenny. You must tell them what you want. Do not hide your feelings. It is a habit you must try to break."

"I know Uncle, but I did not feel I had the right to tell anything to Jenny since I had not spoken with Wheeler. "

"Agreed. This means that you must speak to Wheeler."

Linka moaned and dropped her head back in her hands. "But what if he no longer feels the same, Uncle? What if I lost not only his love, but his friendship?

"Then, dear Linka, at least you will know." Her uncle stood. "If there is one thing that losing Boris has taught me, it is that life is too short to waste wondering about those "if only" moments. If you want to have a future with Wheeler, then you need to try to make it happen. And the first step to that is to start being honest and frank with him."

She knew her uncle was right and stood to hug him. "Thank you, Uncle Dmitri."

*************************************************************************************

The next morning Linka woke up more determined than ever to win Wheeler's affections. She began to dress for her run. As she reached for her standard t-shirt and shorts, she had a sudden burst of inspiration. She threw open her closet doors, certain that inside was the key to making Wheeler think more than friendly thoughts of her. Linka smiled almost evilly as she fished her secret weapon out of the back of her closet. ""I've got you now, Yankee."

*************************************************************************************

Wheeler sat out on the curb in front of his hotel, shaking himself awake for the umpteenth time. He still couldn't believe he was up before the sun. What kind of vacation was this?

"The kind where I torture myself just to be near a certain blond of course," he answered his own question and sighed. "Some things never change. Why am I a glutton for punishment? Last night meant nothing. So Linka's a flirt now, so what? She flirted with the waiter too…it meant nothing. Nothing!" He tried repeating it to reassure himself. Unfortunately, it wasn't helping. All the rational thought in the world couldn't stop him from resurrecting his burning hope that maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for him and Linka. He had suggested joining her on this insane run just to garner a little more alone time with her. He knew Jenny hated to run and that he and the Russian would be on their own. Maybe he would see more of the bold side of Linka he saw last night; he was really beginning to like it.

"Well, I might as well start stretching," he said to himself as he stood. He looked down at his legs. "Let me make my apologies in advance, fellas. It's gonna be one hell of a morning. Yup, that's right. We're back to Linka death loops."

Wheeler began to stretch out his calves and quads. He then spread his legs slightly and bent at his hips to touch the ground. As he looked upside down through his legs, he noticed a runner coming down the sidewalk. As the runner was briefly illuminated by the street lights, Wheeler could make out two things: It was a woman and she was hot! Wheeler smirked and pretended to be very intent on his stretches as he ogled the woman.

She was tall, lean, and wearing the skimpiest blue and white running outfit he had ever seen. While he recognized it as professional runners' wear, and probably very expensive, he couldn't help but enjoy that it was basically composed of a sports bra and hot pants, exposing quite a bit of skin. Her abs were solid, her legs were long and toned, and her breasts bounced just enough to be enticing in the confines of that tiny top. It left very little to the imagination, but Wheeler was willing to be creative. She was nearing, though, so Wheeler went back to stretching, trying desperately to appear manly and fit. As he bent to touch his toes, he heard the runner's footfalls slow to a stop. Just as he was finishing his stretch and getting ready to charm the creature behind him, he felt a sharp sting on his ass.

"Come on, Yankee! Are you going to run or just stick your caboose in the air all day!" Linka laughed as she prepared to swat him again.

Wheeler jumped and spun around, hands covering his behind protectively. "LINKA?!?!" His eyes went wide as he took her in. "Oh God," he thought frantically, staring helplessly at all the right and yet so wrong places on Linka's body, "Dead kittens and grandmothers, dead kittens and grandmothers, dead kittens and grandmothers…" he repeated his mantra silently to himself, praying his t-shirt was long enough to cover his shorts and any issues that might pop up.

Linka choked back a giggle and tried to remain nonchalant. She had bought this running outfit for a half marathon she was going to compete in, liking that the cloth was comfortable and breathed well for running long distances in heat. However, after all of the lecherous looks she received the one day she wore it, she had shoved it to the back of the closet, uncomfortable with the amount of attention it caused. Now though, she was LOVING its effects. She smiled at Wheeler. "Bozhe moy, Yankee! Why do you again look like a fish out of water? Are you not feeling well? Should I leave you and finish my run alone?"

Wheeler was having a hard time hearing. All of his sensory power was locked into drinking in Linka's image. Yes, he had seen her in a bikini before, and he had certainly admired her then, but this was…different. This wasn't the beach on Hope Island, this was a highly populated area in a major city. She wasn't embarrassed or making any effort to cover herself or chastise him; instead she looked completely natural and comfortable, almost like she enjoyed how he was staring at her as if she was food and he was starving. He swallowed nervously. This whole convincing himself to give up on Linka was going to be harder than he thought, especially when confident, nearly naked Linka was quickly becoming one of his favorites versions. Suddenly, he felt knuckles tapping against his head.

"Earth to Wheeler! Come in Wheeler!" She was getting frustrated. Yes, she wanted to stun him, but she didn't want to disable him. "Wake up Yankee!"

His brain slowly began to return to functioning. "Huh? Oh, yeah…Um, I mean…" He took a deep breath and started again. "I mean, hi Linka. I almost didn't recognize me…I mean you."

She eyed him again. "Oh, do I look so much different from the girl you have known for years?"

"Oh babe, if only you knew," he thought quietly. He responded to you. "No, it was just, well there's no sun yet and barely any light from those street lamps and," Hell with it. He was going there. "And I didn't recognize what you were wearing. I was expecting one of your usual running shirts. This is," he gestured at her, "different."

She dismissed him with a wave. "Da, but I have been training for a race and this is much more practical for running in the heat." Time for a loaded question. "Do you not like it?" she asked, pouting slightly and batting her lashes.

"Oh no, babe. I like it…I like it very much. I was surprised, that's all. I just never thought I would see you wear something like that on Hope Island."

Linka decided to fluster him some more. "Something like this? What do you mean?"

"Um, well, it's just more revealing than what you would usually—"

"More revealing? Do you mean to say I look like a prostitute?"

What? "Huh? No, no of course not! I was just—"

"Oh, so I am too fat to wear such attire?"

Shit, shit, SHIT! How was this going so wrong? "NO! No babe, of course not. Your body is perfect, you know that. And of course you don't look like a hooker. You look beautiful and strong and confident, just like always." His words rushed out before he could stop them. He paused, waiting for Linka's reactions. She rarely took his compliments well.

Linka simply smiled at him, moved by the honesty of his opinion of her looks. "Thank you, Yankee."

Wheeler let out an audible sigh of relief. He wasn't sure how he had gotten into that mess or how he had managed to escape, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Well, now that you're here babe, how 'bout we go on that run?"

"Sounds like a plan. But are you wearing that?" She pointed at his t-shirt.

He looked down at his old Giants shirt with the cut-off arms. "Yeah, why?"

Linka went bold again and reached for the hem of his shirt. "It will get much hotter very soon, Yankee," she breathed out his nickname seductively. "I would suggest that you run shirtless." Linka began to pull his shirt over his head, gently scraping her fingers against his sides and chest as she did so.

Wheeler was doing everything in his power not to die of a heart attack right then. He closed his eyes. Linka was undressing him while she was wearing a skimpy outfit? This sounded a lot like Linka fantasy number twenty-two. If only there was some chocolate syrup around…

While Wheeler drifted into his fantasy world for a moment, Linka was trying to suppress her urge to start living one of her fantasies. She was grateful that Wheeler's eyes were closed as she was having difficulty tearing her own eyes and hands away from his sculpted chest. "I must stick to the plan," she thought, working to calm herself. She stepped back and looked at Wheeler. "Yankee!" she yelled. He opened his eyes and she threw his shirt into his face, surprising him. "You better be able to keep up!" she teased as she started jogging at a brisk pace ahead of him. Wheeler stood still, looking at his shirt, while a slow, decisive grin spread on his face. He tucked his shirt into his waistband and broke into a run. The chase was on.

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_**Hmmm, who will catch who? We'll just have to wait and see!**_

_**Sorry this chapter took so long to post. It was originally much longer, so I decided to break it up into two chapters. The bad news? You have to wait to find out what happens after the run. The good news? Chapter 6 is nearly done, so you won't have to wait too long to find out!**_

_**Reviews are love! **_


	6. Chapter 6: Cold Showers

_**A/N: Here is the next chapter! Enjoy!**_

_**As always, the following is meant to entertain and no infringement is intended. **_

**Chapter 6: Cold Showers**

Over an hour later, Linka was taking her pulse in front of her uncle's house while Wheeler was lying supine on the lawn, desperately trying to control his breathing. Linka had taken him on quite the run. Eight miles was a lot to run normally, but eight miles run between two people as competitive as he and Linka had turned the run downright inhumane. It had started out easily enough; he had caught up to her at the beginning and they had moderately jogged together, occasionally talking and teasing. He was even content to let her get ahead of him a few steps, just so he could admire the view. Then she had turned to look at him, winked, and took off like a shot. They had raced full speed the rest of the way, loving every minute of it. In the end, they ended up being about equally matched, with Wheeler's competitive drive and need to impress the blond allowing him to keep up with Linka's superior conditioning.

Now, though, he didn't look very impressive. He looked more like a lump on the ground. He moaned and pushed himself up into sitting position, straining to see where Linka had gone. Just then, he heard the house door open and Linka walked out, carrying two glasses of water. "Rise and glow, Yankee! You need to rehydrate in this heat!"

Linka hadn't lied; the early morning coolness had completely disappeared once the sun had risen. Wheeler was drenched in sweat. He collapsed back on the ground. "Rise and shine, babe. It's rise and shine. And I don't think I'll being doing much of either for good while." He closed his eyes and then yelped and jumped into the air as icy liquid hit his bare chest. He shot Linka the evil eye as she giggled at him. "Very funny babe," he said as he grabbed one of the cups away from her.

She shrugged. "It got you up. Besides, do not tell me it did not feel refreshing." To demonstrate her point, Linka poured some of her own water down her neck. Wheeler couldn't stop himself from staring as the water droplets flowed together to make a small stream headed toward her cleavage. His gaze was interrupted by a hand in his line of view. He looked up at Linka. "My eyes are up HERE, Yankee," she teased him good-naturedly.

Having the decency to feel embarrassed, Wheeler's cheeks began to turn pink. He'd been caught red-handed, blatantly staring at her boobs. While he was surprised, and grateful, she hadn't lashed out at him for it, he knew it he shouldn't have done it. He laughed nervously and ran his hand threw his sweaty hair, "Look, Linka—"

She silenced him by kissing him gently on the cheek. He looked at her, stunned. While occasional pecks on the cheek used to be normal for them, that had changed after she told him that they couldn't have a relationship. While they had become closer as friends, most of the physical side of their relationship, however minor it used to be, had ceased. Wheeler hadn't realized exactly how much he had missed that brief show of affection until right then.

"Wheeler, look at me," Linka started slowly, waiting until she had his attention. "I do not want you to worry about offending or upsetting me anymore. It has taken me much time, but I realize now that your teasing and flirting were not meant inappropriately. I," she paused and took a breath. Should she tell him now? She looked into his eyes, seeing only kindness and a bit of confusion in their blue depths. No, she should stick to the plan. She wanted to make Wheeler comfortable with flirting with her again, not only so she could gauge if he truly was still interested in her, but so they could rebuild their old camaraderie. She needed to work on her communication skills, just as her uncle had suggested. Linka figured that owning up to her past mistakes was a good first step. "I apologize for how I used to overreact. My behavior to you was in the wrong and for that, I am deeply sorry." When Wheeler still didn't say anything, she added, "I just want you to know that I have changed, and that you do not need to censor everything you say to me. In fact, I have missed our…teasings." She looked down. "Do you forgive me?"

Wheeler was still in wonderment. Now Linka flirts, apologizes, and misses him flirting with her? What the hell happened since Hope Island that made her go all pod person? He silenced his internal quandaries when he realized he still needed to answer her. "Linka," he lifted her head with his fingers. "There's nothing to forgive. There were times that I was inappropriate and intentionally said and did stuff just to rile you up and your reactions were completely justified." He smiled ruefully at her. "In fact, I should probably apologize for that."

"Oh Wheeler! I knew most times you were just joking and I just let my frustration get the better of me. Our arguments were mostly my fault."

"Ok babe, before we let this turn into another fight, how 'bout we both agree we use to do some stupid shit when we were younger, but now we're willing to let bygones be bygones and start fresh. How's that sound?"

Linka smiled. "Da, I like that. I promise not to overreact."

"Right, and I promise not to do things on purpose to make you overreact. Deal?" He put out his hand.

"Deal," she responded, grasping his hand and shaking it with finality.

Wheeler tried not to focus on how good her hand felt in his. "Well, if this is an official agreement, we should probably seal it with a kiss…" he trailed off, his eyes mischievous as ever as he yanked her close to him.

"Wheeler!" Linka squealed his name, laughing but not pushing away from him. He laughed too, but didn't release her. Their eyes locked and the moment turned serious. They leaned toward each other, lips nearing, when suddenly the sprinkler system suddenly kicks on, shooting jets of water into their faces! Shocked, they both stand there, gaping at each other as the water continues to spray them, until they both break out into laughter.

"Oh man," Wheeler moaned light-heartedly. "Some things never change!"

"Come on Yankee!" Linka starts to walk up to the front the door. "Let us get out of the water works and get cleaned up!"

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"I do not know about you, Yankee, but I need a shower before I go anywhere," Linka said, making a disgusted face as she caught sight of herself in the entry way mirror.

"Yeah, well I don't exactly smell like a rose either, but I have to wait until we get back to the hotel."

"You can shower here if you wish."

"And put my running clothes back on? Don't think so babe. Kinda ruins the whole point of getting clean."

"Bohze moy, Wheeler. I was not going to suggest you were those again!" She gestured disdainfully at his still dripping garments. "I am sure my uncle has some athletic shorts and t-shirts that you could borrow to wear back to the hotel. Then you can change into your own clothes."

"That could work. Is Dmitri still asleep?" he asked, keeping his voice low so as to not wake anyone up.

"Nyet. He wakes up at the same time I do and goes to the embassy. He is very productive, but I sometimes wish he did not have to keep such long hours."

"You crazy Russians and your early mornings. Someone needs to teach you guys how to sleep in sometime," he joked, still a little wary of teasing her.

"Well, we cannot all be lazy Americans who with recliners and remotes and potato chips," she replied cheekily. "Someone actually has to do the work that keeps the world running."

"Ha ha, babe. You're so funny I forgot to laugh," he replied, smiling. Maybe this could work. He had missed teasing her. "Alright, you sold me. Where can a guy get a shower around here?"

"Up here," she led him upstairs to the guest bedroom. "There are fresh towels in the bathroom and once you are in the shower, I will bring clean clothes up and put them on the bed for you."

"Sounds good, babe." As Linka began to walk out of the room, Wheeler thought of something and called out to her, "Are you sure you don't want to conserve water, Ms. Planeteer? Co-ed showers are great for the environment," he suggested with a singsong voice and wink. His smiled flipped into a frown, though, when Linka's face paled and she didn't move.

"I do not think this is the time for that Wheeler," she replied somewhat stiffly. She turned to leave. "I will bring your clothes up in a minute." Then she hurried out of the room.

"Linka wait!" Wheeler called after her, but it was too late. He groaned to himself as he headed to the bathroom and shut the door. Catching sight of his reflection in the mirror, he began talking to himself. "DAMMIT! Everything was going so well, and then I had to take it too far. Again. Typical me, sticking my foot into my mouth. I didn't mean it…ok, well, I kinda meant it, but it was more as a joke. Here she is, apologizing to me for overreacting and promising to start fresh and I just have to take it to the next level. Not just regular fun teasing, I have to go right for the sexual harassment. And what was that out front? I almost KISSED her! She's doing everything she can to make sure our friendship is open and honest and I immediately try to take advantage of it. One peck on the cheek from her and I lose ever inch of resolve I've worked on these last few years! I'm going to drive her away if I keep this up," he took a breath. "And I'm probably going to go crazy! Look, I'm already talking to myself!" he said to his reflection. "I need to talk to her and tell her I didn't mean what I said. It's just who I am. Maybe then she'll understand and I can at least keep her as a friend!" Course of action decided upon, Wheeler stripped down and wrapped a towel around himself before opening the bathroom door to throw his dirty clothes out into the bedroom. What he saw was Linka in the room, bending over to put clothes on the bed.

"I-I-I br-brought you some clothes to try on," Linka stuttered and stood up, slightly dazed by only seeing Wheeler in a towel. "You can try them on and wear whatever fits best."

"Uh, thanks babe."

"You are welcome." They stood there awkwardly. Then Linka walked over and picked up his shorts, underwear, shirt, and socks. "I will go wash these and then take my shower. My room is down the hall if you should need anything." She then turned and walked out of the room, closing the door as she left.

Wheeler shut the bathroom door, berating himself again as he turned on the water. "Great, now it's awkward between us and I know that she is going to be naked and showering right down the hall." He shook his head. "Guess I should make this a cold shower," he thought as he stepped into the welcoming spray. He looked down and saw that his body had a mind of its own. "Oh, who I am kidding?" he signed and reached for the soap.

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What Wheeler didn't know was that Linka was having a similar conversation with herself right down the hall. After throwing his clothes into the washer, Linka had retreated to her bedroom and started her shower.

"Oh why did I not just agree to his shared shower?" she asked herself. "I certainly want it! He just caught me so off guard and I did not know what to do! I just stammered like an idiot and now everything between us is uncomfortable. It is my fault! Bohze moy, and when I saw him in his towel! If I were an experienced woman, I would have taken his towel and shown him how I really feel. But no, I am Linka, a coward who cannot even admit her feelings to the man she loves! I must talk to him and make this right," she decided firmly.

*************************************************************************************

When Linka came out of the shower, she found Wheeler sitting on the couch in the living room watching ESPN. Hearing her enter the room, he looked up and smiled, trying to alleviate any residual awkwardness. "Hey babe."

"Hey yourself, Yankee," she smiled back, desperate to make the atmosphere as easy going as it had been before. She walked in the direction of the kitchen. "I am going to get some orange juice. Would you like any?"

"Sure thing, babe."

A few moments later, Linka returned with the juice. Handing one glass to Wheeler, she sat next to him on the couch. "So, Wheeler, what would you like to do today?"

"Well, I called Jenny while you were in the shower, and she's just gotten up. So I figure we can chill here for a little longer and give her a chance to get ready. Then we'll go meet her and check out the capital. Sound ok to you?"

"Da, that will work." Linka tried not to grimace when she heard Jenny's name. Her neck was already sore from not stretching well enough after the run and she certainly didn't need to focus on the one person that would cause her to stress and tighten up more. She reached her hand back to rub at her neck. Wheeler noticed her movement and looked at her with concern.

"You all right, Linka?"

"Da, it is just that I did not stretch my neck after the run and now it is tight. I think I will get a warm compress and –"

Wheeler interrupted her. "Would me massaging it help?"

Linka stopped herself from telling him exactly how having his hands on her body would relieve her stress and opted for the more causal hesitation. "You do not have to do—"

"Linka, would it help?" Wheeler read her hesitation as more awkwardness and was determined to show that he could be trusted to behave.

Linka acquiesced. "Da, thank you Wheeler."

He set his orange juice on a coaster on the coffe table. "Come here babe."

She set her glass down as well and moved to sit between his legs. The moment his hands started rubbing her shoulders, she gasped with pleasure at the contact. Wheeler stopped his motions. "Is everything ok? Did I hurt you? Am I pressing too hard?" he asked with concern.

"Nyet, it is fine. My neck and shoulders are tight, but you are helping very much, and your pressure is good. Please continue?" She said the last part with just a hint of desperation in her voice.

The red head continued his work, feeling proud of himself as Linka's muscles relaxed and she laid back against him. His hands on her body felt magical. Currently, she felt perfectly relaxed, but still alert. If he whispered one word into her ear, she could turn and pounce on him in an instant. Maybe now was the time—

"Wheeler—"

"Linka—"

They began at the same time, paused, and laughed at each other.

Linka looked at him over her shoulder, smiling. "Well, Yankee, that seemed like a tie. Who will go first now?" she teased.

But Wheeler was more serious. "Babe, there's something I need to tell you and I want to say it now before anything else gets weird or awkward, ok?"

Sensing he had something of importance to say, she nodded and settled against him. "Alright, you may speak first, but only on the condition that you can massage while you talk."

"Can do princess." His hands went back into action as he began, "Linka, I know we just said that we were starting with clean slates and I'm so happy for that, so happy that I forgot myself for a moment and almost ruined everything with whatever that was on the front yard and my stupid shower comment."

"But Wheeler—"

"No, Linka. No buts. I don't want you to excuse my behavior, because it is inexcusable. Again, I have a problem with taking things too far. I'm not going to lie, I really missed arguing and teasing with you. It was one of my favorite pastimes, and I'm actually really happy to know that you missed it too. But I need to learn my boundaries. You mean too much to me as a friend, Linka, to risk upsetting you with my being an idiot and saying dumb, sexually harassing comments. "

"Wheeler, please—"

"Don't say that they don't bother you, because I saw your face after the shower remark. And I'm sorry. I don't know why I say things like that. I mean," he took a deep breath and continued, "I put those feelings behind me long ago. You can trust me Linka. You are one of my best friends and I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that. So please don't let things get awkward between us over one of my asinine comments that I didn't mean anyway." He stopped rubbing her neck and she turned to look at him. "So don't worry that I am going to start chasing you again or anything ok? Because I'm not. I'll probably still say stupid things, but I just want you to know that I don't mean them and you don't need to uncomfortable and we don't need to be awkward, ok?" He exhaled and waited for her response with a tight smile. There, he'd done it. He'd lied through his teeth and promised to only treat her as a friend. He couldn't risk losing her, especially now that they weren't on Hope Island together every day. Now, if she felt weird around him, she could just stop talking to him and shut him out of her life. "If this is how it has to be to keep her," Wheeler thought, "Then it's worth it."

Linka, however, was fighting back sobs and screams of pain. "This is how it feels to have your heart broken," she thought bitterly. "It's even worse because he has no concept of my love for him. I have waited too long; my chance is over. Wheeler is lost to me." She closed her eyes for a brief moment. "If his friendship is my only option, then that is what I will have to live with. It is my own fault and it will bring me great pain to see him with others, but he has made his feelings clear. I will respect that." The blond took a deep breath, willing her body and voice not to betray her. She looked at Wheeler and said, "Da, I do trust you Yankee. And we will be fine. Never worry about my friendship for I do not think there is anything you could do to lose me. You are too important to me." Plastering her best friendship smile on her face, she turned her body around and reached to hug him. He returned the embrace tightly, feeling almost as if he was saying goodbye.

When they parted, Linka stood up. "Now Yankee, I must go to the bathroom and then we will go meet Jenny, da?"

Without waiting for a response, Linka hurried down the hall. Wheeler watched her retreating figure with sadness before answering softly, "Da, babe."

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_**A/N: *SIGH* Will these two never learn? **_

_**We're over half way finished now; only about three or four chapters left to go. They are all outlined and in various stages of being written, but life is starting to intrude, so I may only be updating once a week. Keep an eye out!**_

_**Hope you're still enjoying the story!**_


	7. Chapter 7: Can You Tell Me How to Get

_**A/N: Ok all, don't hate me for taking so long to post! I'm hoping once you hear the reasons why and read (and enjoy!) this chapter, you'll forgive me.**_

_**So work's been a bear, I'm preparing to take the GRE (because I'm not satisfied with just an MA after my name and want the PhD and because I'm obviously a sadist), and…wait for it…the husband and I just found out we are pregnant! It is very exciting (and a bit nerve-wracking) as it will be our first. We've been trying for a year, so this was very welcome and surprising news. Unfortunately, this means my fanfic writing has been put on the back burner. Never fear, though, I've never abandoned a fic and don't intend to start the habit, but I can't promise regular updates yet. **_

_**Anyway, I just wanted to update all of you on the situation. Also, I just had time to read all the new fics and updates posted and I am blown away by how amazing they are! I will start leaving reviews of praise now! **_

_**Enjoy the next chapter and remember that reviews make expectant mothers healthy and happy! **__****_

**Chapter 7: Can You Tell Me How to Get, How to Get to…**

Ma-Ti was only beginning to wake up in his rainforest hut when a sharp, searing pain burned through his brain and his heart. Instinctively he, he sat up and held his finger to his forehead, ready to use his ring before realizing that he was no longer its bearer. He sighed to himself; some habits were hard to break.

Every since leaving Hope Island, Ma-Ti had found that he still had a very empathic nature and could normally tell the emotions of those around him. However, they were vague shadows of what he used to be able to sense with his ring and it didn't seem to work over distances. This pain, however, was strong and he could tell it was from no one in his village. He closed his eyes to concentrate.

Immediately he was assaulted by images of Linka in excruciating pain. He immediately tensed, worried that his friend was in mortal danger. He delved deeper into her consciousness, trying to find the danger when he realized that her pain was emotional and not physical. While he breathed a sigh of relief that she was not injured, he was still amazed at her level of pain. Something was terribly wrong with Linka and it had to do with….Wheeler. He held his breath as he sorted through her emotions. Wheeler was the source of Linka's pain.

Feeling slightly intrusive now that he knew she was safe, Ma-Ti broke the connection and opened his eyes. There was only one course of action to take in a situation like this. He reached for his satellite phone.

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"RING, RING! RING, RING! RING, RING!"

"Ooohhh," a tired Gi moaned from beneath her bed covers. She glanced at the clock; it was going on 9 AM. "Seriously? Who's calling me now?" She turned to reach for the phone on the nightstand, but a strong arm snaked out and pulled her in the opposite direction.

"Don't answer it," Pontus begged teasingly. "There's no Planeteer Alerts for you anymore, so there's nothing important enough to tear you out of my arms."

Gi giggled and leaned in to kiss him. "And makes you so important?"

He rolled over on top of her. "Oh, I'm just your hot boyfriend who snuck out of a secret underwater city to see you, that's all."

"Hmm, if that's all…" Gi teased as Pontus growled lightly and began to tickle her. Gi squealed and Pontus reached down to kiss her when…

"RING, RING! RING, RING! RING, RING!"

"Arrgghh!" Gi yelled out in frustration. She looked apologetically at Pontus. "I better get that."

Pontus sighed good-naturedly and reached over to grab the phone for her. "Be quick." He handed her the phone and kissed her on the nose before getting up to leave the room.

Gi glanced at the caller id on her phone. Opening it, she greeted her caller, "This better be good Ma-Ti." As she listened to him, her eyes widened with anxiety. "No, Ma-Ti, you did the right thing. I'll call her and get back to you. Thanks for letting me know." Gi quickly hung up the phone and dialed a familiar number.

*************************************************************************************

Linka sat on the edge of her bathtub, trying as best she could to stifle her tears. If she didn't settle herself soon, Wheeler would come to check on her and she couldn't have him seeing her in such a state over his words.

Between her sobs, she slowly became aware of a slight buzzing sound. Looking around, she realized the noise was coming from her cell phone, which she had set on the counter. She stood and picked up the phone, seeing Gi's name on the screen. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself and answered, "Hello?"

"Linka, what's wrong? Are you ok? What did Wheeler do? Do I need to come and kick him? Because I will. I'll get the first flight out of here and find him and--" Gi's forceful voice came through the earpiece.

"What? Nyet, Gi, everything is fine. What are you talking about?" Linka kept her voice level, attempting to sound normal.

"No, Linka. Everything is not fine, so don't play games. Ma-Ti just called me. It turns out he can still feel us, especially when we have extreme emotions. And your emotions were so extreme he was worried you were being drawn and quartered at first! And he could tell it had something to do with Wheeler, so you need to skip the stoic Russian routine and tell your best friend what the hell is going on!"

" Gi, it is nothing. Wheeler is—" Linka choked on his name. Suddenly, she couldn't take it anymore. She broke down, sobbing again. "Oh Gi, it is over. I have lost him."

Gi listened with silent compassion as the Russian updated her on the happenings of the past week: Jenny coming with Wheeler, Jenny's confession, Linka's plan, the carnival, the fun, and finally Wheeler's statement from that morning.

"Oh, Linka," Gi said sadly. "Are you sure you don't want me there? I can certainly make arrangements. You shouldn't have to go through this alone."

"No, Gi, but thank you. I will tough it through. Now that I know that the only feelings that he holds for me are those of friendship, I will have to learn to be content with that. I cannot lose him from my life, so I will learn how to adapt my feelings and behavior to be appropriate," Linka sighed. "It is my own fault for waiting this long. But thank you Gi for calling, and please assure Ma-Ti that I am alright. I did not mean to cause him alarm."

"Ok, Linka, if you're sure you're going to be alright…"

"Da, I will be."

"Well, remember you can always call me if you need to talk or vent or scream or whatever. In fact, you should probably keep your phone with you, because I am going to be calling to check on you. No matter how many miles apart we are, you're still my best friend and I'm worried for you. So get used to answering your phone and giving me an honest update, ok?"

"Da, Gi, I will," Linka smiled in spite of herself. "And thank you Gi. You are one of the few people who can get me to admit my feelings. I am truly glad to have you as my friend. You are right; this will be difficult for me, but I can make it. Especially if I have you helping me."

The girls said their goodbyes and hung up their phones. Linka looked into the mirror. Talking with Gi had helped her: she had stopped crying and her face wasn't as red anymore. She splashed some cold water on her face, opened the bathroom door, and braced herself to face Wheeler and her new outlook on their relationship.

*************************************************************************************

"Don't bang on my can! Go away!" Wheeler quipped in his Brooklyn accent, still smiling as they left the museum. Linka and Jenny sighed good naturedly at each other and rolled their eyes. The past several days had been spent visiting all of the sights of the nation's capital. They toured the White House and the Capital Building, silently absorbed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Iwo Jima statue, posed with Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson, and finally walked through many of the museums.

"With all of your whining during the rest of the museum tours, I would never have thought you would have kept us here until closing Wheeler! I think the guards were afraid you were going to hide and stay the night!" Linka admonished as they left the Smithsonian Museum of American History.

"Oh man, if it would be anything like the movies where everything comes alive, I totally would have!" Wheeler exclaimed. "And anyway, babe, this museum was awesome, especially the Sesame Street exhibit!" It was true, Wheeler had been entranced by the museum's collection of famous Muppets: Big Bird, Grover, and, his favorite, Oscar the Grouch. He couldn't stop quoting the green curmudgeon. "So leave me alone and scram!"

Jenny laughed. "Alright Oscar, we get it. We'll leave you alone," she linked arms with Linka, "while WE go find something to eat. Your puppet obsession kept us in there so long, it's dinner time now!" The girls began to walk away, but heavy footsteps soon caught up to them.

"First of all, it's MUPPETS, not PUPPETS, doll," Wheeler corrected. "And secondly, I'm all in for food! I'm starving! Where to Ruskie-tootsie?"

"Surprise, surprise, the Yankee is hungry," Linka teased. "As for food, there is bar close by that serves good food and has music for dancing later. Since this is your last night here, I thought we could, what is the expression? 'Party the night away?' The bar is close to a subway station, so it will not be difficult for us to get home."

"I'm always game for a party! Lead the way, beautiful!"

Linka struggled not to blush. It had been a difficult week for her, but she had managed to suppress her feelings enough to just enjoy her time exploring DC with Wheeler and Jenny. A few therapeutic calls to Gi had been needed, but otherwise she was proud how well she was handling herself. It had also helped that she had not noticed Wheeler paying any special attention to Jenny; the idea that he may not have an interest in her bird-watching friend was a great comfort.

They arrived at the bar. "I've got to run to the little girls' room," Jenny said, "You two want to get us a table?"

"On it," Wheeler replied, reaching out for Linka's arm and guiding her through the tables. "This one will work, perfect bar and dance floor access," he said, gesturing at their surroundings.

"Da," Linka agreed. "It is good that we have arrived so early to eat. This bar fills up fast and it would be difficult to find a seat later."

"Oh, have you been here a lot?"

"Well, just a few times. It is Marcus' favorite place."

"Marcus?" Wheeler's tone was light, but his thoughts were heavy. "She's never mentioned a Marcus before, especially not one that she goes to bars with," he thought to himself, "Is she dating...stop it Wheeler. You know where this path goes: straight to Jealously-ville. She's your friend and she can hang out with whoever she wants to." He tried desperately to calm his thoughts.

"Da, Marcus is my friend. His father works with Uncle Dmitri in the capital and introduced us. He is our age and very friendly and outgoing." Linka giggled. "In fact, you and he would get along well. He decided that I needed to learn how to loosen up and appointed himself my official 'Ambassador of Fun.'"

"I'm sure he did," Wheeler thought. Aloud, he responded awkwardly, "Well, that's good, I guess. I mean, I'm glad you made some friends here…" Wheeler trailed off and began to look around the bar, desperate to find something else to talk about. Linka might have been off limits to him, but that didn't mean he wanted to hear about other guys hitting on her.

Linka was confused. One minute she and Wheeler were engaged in natural conversation and the next he appeared as if he was searching for the nearest exit. Not knowing what caused the change in his demeanor, Linka attempted to steer the conversation back to normal ground. "I never realized that you liked Sesame Street so much. Did you watch it often as a child?" That did it. Wheeler was looking right into her eyes again and smiling.

"Liked it? I loved it! I watched it every day, hoping that it was real and trying to figure out how to get there. I wouldn't have survived without Sesame Street." At Linka's questioning look, he continued. "I mean, you know, I didn't grow up in the best part of the city. I didn't even know that there were better parts, I just thought my neighborhood was normal. Drunks, trash, bums, yelling, gunfights, graffiti, sirens…that's all I knew. And then I see this place on TV, in a city, where people are happy and helpful and singing and there are brightly colored monsters and it was just, wow, you know? It was a whole other reality that I didn't know existed. So on days when dad was sleeping off his hangover and mom was at work, all I had was Sesame Street for company. All I wanted to do was find it. Every time my dad came home drunk, yelled at me, yelled at mom, or broke something, I would just make my plans to run away to Sesame Street. It was, well, really comforting. And," he broke off and laughed, "Oscar was my favorite character, maybe because he showed that someone could be…unpleasant…without being a complete bastard like my dad, maybe just because he never had to take a bath, who knows? But anyway, up until I was about 11, any garbage can I passed, I looked inside, hoping I would find Oscar and he would tell me how to 'scram' to Sesame Street. I know it's silly, always trying to figure out how to get a place that was impossible to get to. I just figured that one day, if I kept trying, I would find my way there." Wheeler realized that he was now gazing at Linka and talking less and less about Sesame Street and more and more about his feelings for her. He paused, a little embarrassed at how much he had revealed, and cleared his throat as he ran his hand through his hair. "And, um, yeah, that concludes my embarrassing childhood story about my puppet obsession."

Linka, who had been watching him with rapt fascination, smiled. "Muppets," she correctly.

"Yeah, Muppets," he repeated, smiling back at her.

Linka reached her hand out and covered his. "And keep trying, Yankee. One day you will get there. I do not believe anything is impossible for you."

His heart jumped at her words and touch. Did she realize…? "Linka, I—"

Just then Jenny reappeared. "Alright guys, let's get this party started! What's everyone want to drink? First round is on me!"

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_**A/N: Dear Jenny, GO AWAY!!! Goodness, that girl is annoying! Anyway, keep checking for updates…because who doesn't want to see what happens when the alcohol starts flowing? And who is this Marcus guy anyway? **_


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